Conference yukon::christian_v7

    Good Morning John, I pray that you and your family be richly blessed
    during this time of preparation for the coming of our Lord on christmas
    day. Advent is truly a special time of grace and repentance. I hope
    that this Christmas day for you and your family be like no other.
    
    May God's blessings be upon you!
    
    Regards,
    
    Steve D.

I look from afar:
And lo, I see the power of God coming, and a cloud covering the whole earth.
Go ye out to meet him and say:
Tell us, art thou he that should come to reign over thy people Israel?
High and low, rich and poor, one with another,
Go you out to meet him and say:
Hear, O thou Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep,
Tell us, art thou he that should come?
Stir up thy strength, O Lord, and come
To reign over thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
I look from afar:
And lo, I see the power of God coming, and a cloud covering the whole earth.
Go ye out to meet him and say:
Tell us, art thou he that should come to reign over thy people Israel?

Come, thou Redeemer of the earth,	From God the Father he proceeds,
  And manifest thy virgin-birth:	  To God the Father back he speeds,
Let ev'ry age adoring fall;		His course he runs to death and hell,
  Such birth befits the God of all.	  Returning on God's throne to dwell.

Begotten of no human will,		Thy cradle here shall glitter bright,
  But of the Spirit, thou art still	  And darkness breathe a newer light,
The Word of God in flesh arrayed,	Where endless faith shall shine serene,
  The promised fruit to man displayed.	  And twilight never intervene.

Forth from his chamber goeth he,	All laud, eternal Son, to thee
  That royal home of purity,		  Whose advent sets thy people free,
A giant in twofold substance one,	Whom with the Father we adore,
  Rejoicing now his course to run	  And Holy Ghost for evermore.

	God announces in the Garden of Eden that the Seed of Woman
	shall bruise the serpent's head.

	Adam lay ybounden,			Ne had the apple taken been,
	  Bounden in a bond;			  The apple taken been,
	Four thousand winter			Ne had never our lady
	  Thought he not too long.		  Abeen heavn� queen.

	And all was for an apple,		Blessed be the time,
	  An apple that he took,		  That apple taken was,
	As clerkes finden written		Therefore we moun singen
	  In their book.			  Deo gracias!

				Deo gracias!

	God commissions Isaiah to be the prophet of the Advent.

	People look East,			Furrows, be glad,
	  The time is near			  Though earth is bare,
	Of the crowning				One more seed
	  of the year.				  is planted there:
	Make your house fair			Give up your strength
	  as you are able,			  to nourish,
	Trim the hearth				That in course
	  and set the table.			  the flower may flourish.
	People look East,			People look East,
	  and sing today:			  and sing today:
	Love the Guest is on the way.		Love the Rose is on the way.

                                  ----------

	Stars keep watch,			Angels, announce
	  When night is dim			  to man and beast
	One more light				Him who cometh
	  the bowl shall brim,			  from the East;
	Shining beyond				Set the peak
	  the frosty weather,			  and valley humming
	Bright as the sun			With the Word
	  and moon together.			  the Lord is coming.
	People look East,			People look East,
	  and sing today:			  and sing today:
	Love the Star is on the way.		Love the Lord is on the way.

	The prophet announces God's coming to Zion.

	Sound the trumpet in Sion, for the day of the Lord is near.
	See, he is coming to save us.  Winding paths will be made
	straight and rough places smooth.

	Come, O Lord, and do not delay.

Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding;	Lo! the Lamb, so long expected,
  "Christ is nigh," it seems to say;	  Comes with pardon down from heaven;
"Cast away the works of darkness,	Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
  O ye children of the day."		  One and all to be forgiven;

Wakened by the solemn warning,		So when next he comes with glory,
  Let the earth-bound soul arise;	  And the world is wrapped in fear,
Christ, her sun, all sloth dispelling,	May he with his mercy shield us,
  Shines upon the morning skies.	  And with words of love draw near.

			Honor, glory, might and blessing
			  To the Father and the Son,
			With the everlasting Spirit
			  While unending ages run.

	Daniel beholds the Son of Man in His glory.

	Hosanna to the Son of David.  Blessed be he that cometh in the
	name of the Lord.  Blessed be the King of Israel.  Blessed be
	the kingdom that cometh in the name of the Lord.  Peace in
	heav'n, and glory in the highest places.  Hosanna in the
	highest heav'ns.

Come, thou long-expected Jesus,		Born thy people to deliver,
  Born to set thy people free;		  Born a child, and yet a king,
From our fears and sins release us,	Born to reign in us for ever,
  Let us find our rest in thee.		  Now thy gracious kingdom bring.

Israel's strength and consolation,	By thine own eternal Spirit
  Hope of all the earth thou art;	  Rule in all our hearts alone:
Dear desire of every nation,		By thine all-sufficient merit
  Joy of every longing heart.		  Raise us to thy glorious throne.

	The Lord gives the House of David the Sign of Emmanuel

	Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
	blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the	    Luke 1:28
	offspring of thy womb, Jesus Christ.			    Luke 1:42

	Son of Mary, Son of the Living God,
	have mercy upon us, now
	and at the hour of our death.  Amen.

	St. Luke tells of the birth of John the Baptist

	Thou, Child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest,
	for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare
	his ways:  To give light to them that sit in darkness,
	and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet in the
	way of peace.

	Among them that are born of women, there hath not risen
	one greater than John the Baptist.

On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry	For thou art our salvation, Lord,
  Announces that the Lord is nigh;	  Our refuge, and our great reward;
Awake and hearken, for he brings	Without thy grace we waste away
  Glad tidings of the King of kings.	  Like flowers that wither and decay.

Then cleansed be every breast from sin;	To heal the sick stretch out thy hand,
  Make straight the way of God within,	  And bid the fallen sinner stand;
And let each heart prepare a home	Shine forth, and let thy light restore
  Where such a mighty guest may come.	  Earth's own true loveliness once more.

			All praise, eternal Son, to thee,
			  Whose advent doth thy people free;
			Whom with the Father we adore
			  And Holy Ghost for evermore.

	The Angel Gabriel announces the birth of Jesus to
	the Blessed Virgin Mary.

When righteous Joseph wedded was	Then Joseph thought to shun all shame
  To Israel's Hebrew maid,		  And Mary to forsake:
The angel Gabriel came from heav'n	But God's dear angel in a dream
  And to the Virgin said:		  His mind did undertake;
`Hail, blessed Mary, full of grace,	Fear not, old Joseph, she's thy wife,
  The Lord remain on thee;		  She's still a spotless maid:
Thou shalt conceive and bear a son,	There's no conceit or sin at all
  Our Saviour for to be:		  Against her can be laid:

       [Refrain]   Then sing you all, both great and small,
			  Nowell, Nowell, Nowell!
		   We may rejoice to hear the voice
			  Of the Angel Gabriel.

Thus Mary and her husband kind		Sing praises all, both young and old,
  Together did remain,			  To him that wrought such things:
Until the time of Jesus' birth		And all without the means of man,
  As scripture doth make plain.		  Sent us the King of kings,
As mother, wife, and virtuous maid,	Who is of such a spirit blest,
  Our Saviour sweet conceived;		  That with his might did quell
And in due time to bring us him,	The world, the flesh, and by his death
  Of whom we were bereaved;		  Did conquer death and hell.

       [Refrain]   Then sing you all, both great and small,
			  Nowell, Nowell, Nowell!
		   We may rejoice to hear the voice
			  Of the Angel Gabriel.

	Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with the Lord.
	And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring
	forth a son; and he shall be called the Son of the Highest.

							Luke 1:30-32

	Judah and Jerusalem, fear not, nor be dismayed;
	Tomorrow go ye forth, and the Lord, he will be with you.
	Stand ye still, and ye shall see the salvation of the Lord.
	Tomorrow go ye forth, and the Lord, he will be with you.
	Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
	Tomorrow go ye forth, and the Lord, he will be with you.

	O God, who makest us glad with the yearly expectation of thy
	coming, Grant that we, who with joy receive thy only-begotten
	Son as our Redeemer, may without fear behold him when he shall
	come to be our Judge, even thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ; who
	liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God,
	world without end.  Amen.

	Go forth into the world in peace; be of good courage; hold fast
	that which is good; render to no man evil for evil; stringthen
	the faint-hearted; support the weak; help the afflicted; honour
	all men; love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the
	Holy Ghost.

	And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the
	Holy Spirit, be upon us, and remain with us always.  Amen.

Wake, awake, for night is flying	Sion hears the watchmen singing,
  The watchmen on the heights are	  Her heart with deep delight is
	crying,					springing.
  Awake, Jerusalem, arise!		  She wakes, she rises from her gloom:
Midnight's solemn hour is tolling,	Forth her Bridegroom comes, all glorious
His chariot wheels are nearer rolling,	In grace arrayed, by truth victorious;
  He comes; prepare, ye virgins wise	  Her star is risen, her light is come!
Rise up, with willing feet		All hail, Incarnate Lord,
Go forth, the Bridegroom meet:		Our crown, and our reward!
	Alleluia!				Alleluia!
  Bear through the night		  We haste along
  Your well-trimmed light,		  In pomp of song.
Speed forth to join the marriage rite.	And gladsome join the marriage throng.

			Lamb of God, the heavens adore thee,
			  And men and angels sing before thee
			  With harp and cymbal's clearest tone.
			By the pearly gates in wonder
			We stand, and swell the voice of thunder
			  That echoes round thy dazzling throne.
			No vision ever brought,
			No ear hath ever caught.
				Such rejoicing:
			  We raise the song,
			  We swell the throng,
			To praise thee, angels all along.

O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi proditi attingens a fine usque ad finem,
fortiter suaviter disponensque omnia; veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.

			O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
			who orderest all things mightily;
			to us the path of knowledge show,
			and teach us in her ways to go.

O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammae rube apparusti,
et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

			O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
			Who to thy tribes on Sinai's height
			In ancient times didst give the law,
			In cloud, and majesty, and awe.

O radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum super quem continebunt reges os
suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.

			O come, thou Branch of Jesse's tree,
			Free them from Satan's tyranny
			That trust thy mighty power to save,
			And give them victory o'er the grave.

O clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel: qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis,
et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vincteum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris
et umbra mortis.

			O come, thou Key of David, come,
			And open wide our heavenly home;
			Make safe the way that leads on high,
			And close the path to misery.

O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae: veni, et illumina
sedentes in tenebris et umbra mortis.

			O come, thou Dayspring from on high,
			And cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
			Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
			And death's dark shadow put to flight.

O Rex gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, que facis utraque
unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo forasti.

			O come, Desire of nations, bind
			In one the hearts of all mankind;
			Bid thou our sad divisions cease,
			And be thyself our King of Peace.

O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio gentium, et Salvator earum:
veni ad salvandum nos Domine Deus noster.

			O come, O come, Emmanuel,
			And ransom captive Israel,
			That mourns in lonely exile here
			Until the Son of God appear.

			Rejoice!  Rejoice!
			Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

	May the Sun of Righteousness shine upon you and scatter
	the darkness from before your path.

    For those of you with little ones, you may want to pick up an Advent
    calendar real soon.  We have one, not sure who it's from, but it has a
    sticker for each day of the month up to the 24th.  When finished, it
    will have a nice little manger scene.  If you have kids, you'll know
    they love stickers!  Meryl Doney makes some really nice ones, with
    pop-ups too.  I'd also like to recommend the book "Follow the Star" by
    Alan & Linda Parry.  It will help reinforce the Advent lessons when you
    light the candles.
    
    I'm hoping to post some family outlines for Advent later this week as I
    did for Hannukah.
    
    Mike

    
    I well remember Advent calendars in my family.  Big hit with 
    us kids.  It appeared to be something of a cultural thing, 
    though.  None of my friends at that time had even heard of
    Advent calendars (my family is Norwegian).
    
    Otto

>    None of my friends at that time had even heard of
>    Advent calendars (my family is Norwegian).

A tradition on my family from my wife's side of the family.

Mike! 

Advent calendars began a week ago!  We have had one for a number of years.
One was so good we used it for a few years, until the doors needed new
hinges... It was a map of Israel, with little illustrations of events where
they had happened.  Inside the doors were clearer pictures of specific
events, with their references, going from the Old Testament through to the
advent events. 

I can't always find good ones, though.  I've fancied making one myself, to
last, with space behind the doors for small items, or a variation in
pictures / texts.  Now I'm reduced to wondering if I could do it for my
grandchildren.  The only gleanm of light which gives me hope there is that
none of my sons currently even has a girl friend.  Now if they hold off
until I retire in another 18 years or so.... ;-} 

					Andrew 

    I know it has already started, I'm just prodding along the newcomers. 
    Between Hannukah and Advent, Sunday night was a busy night at our
    house.
    
    Mike

We've got three now, one for each of our kids.

:-)

Paul

	I've never had one, and I'm a week late this year :-|

    Well get one now and you'll still have 17 days to teach your kids with
    it!

David loves his Advent calendar, but we have no chance of re-using it.  
The doors get ripped off....

Darrell Lea chocolate shops also have advent calendars that have a chocolate 
as well as an illustration inside.


Chele

The celebration of Advent is a way for families to celebrate Jesus throughout
December.  A beautiful tradition for your family to begin is the lighting of the
Advent candles.

Advent Wreath - this is a circular candle holder (if on a budget, you can
festively decorate a styrofoam circle and insert 4 candle holders into it).
Four candles are placed on the wreath, 3 purple or royal blue, and 1 pink.  A
big white pillar type candle is placed in the center of the wreath.  A candle is
lit on each of the 4 Sundays before Christmas.  The candles may be lit every
morning during breakfast, before church or each Sunday night at dinner.  The
white pillar candle is to be lit on Christmas Eve.

Week 1 - Light the first purple candle.  This candle represents PROPHECY.
Talk briefly about the many prophecies concerning Messiah Jesus' coming (See
partial list of Messianic prophecies below).  You can sing a song or a
Christmas carol ("Come Thou Long Expected Jesus") and they pray together.

Week 2 - Scripture reading is Luke 1:26-56.  Light the first PROPHECY candle and
then the second purple candle representing BETHLEHEM.  Tell the story of the
annunciation, Joseph's dream and the journey to Bethlehem.  Sing a song or
Christmas carol ("O Little Town of Bethlehem").  Pray together.

Week 3 - Read Luke 2:8-14.  Light the PROPHECY, BETHLEHEM, and then the third
purple candle representing THE GOOD NEWS.  Talk about the Shepherds receiving
the Good News from the angels that Jesus was born.  Sing a song or Christmas
carol ("Angels We Have Heard on High").  Pray together.

Week 4 - Read Matthew 2:1-12.  Light the PROPHECY, BETHLEHEM, THE GOOD NEWS
candles and briefly review what they have learned.  Then light the pink candle
which represents THE WISE MEN.  Tell the story of the Wise Men following the
star to Bethlehem to worship the prophesied Messiah.  Sing a song or Christmas
carol ("We Three Kings").  Pray together.

Christmas Eve - Read Luke 2:6-7, John 3:16, John 1:1-5,14.  Light all the purple
candles, and the pink one and briefly review what has been learned.  Now light
the white pillar candle which represents JESUS HAS COME.  The prophets foretold
it; born in Bethlehem; Shepherds received the good news; and Wise Men traveled
to worship the Messiah.  Sing "Joy to the World" and pray together.

Other Advent Suggestions
------------------------
1. Advent Calendar - these can be bought at any Christian bookstore.  They have
   activities for each day for the children to perform.
2. Nativity Scene - put a complete set next to your wreath.  You can also add a
   piece every night or add pieces corresponding to the lighting of the
   candles.
3. Jesse Tree - Uses different symbols to represent Jesus' ancestry.  Prop a
   branch in a flower pot or draw a tree on paper.  Add Biblical symbols: a harp
   for King David, Ark for Noah, shepherd's staff for Jesse, star for Abraham,
   sprig of wheat for Ruth/Boaz, crown for King Solomon, etc...
4. Light up the Cross - The cross is the real Christmas tree!  It is the tree
   (Galatians 3:13-14) upon which Jesus died and bore the curse of our sins
   and brought us the blessings of Abraham.  Take Christmas lights and attach
   them to a cross made of 2x4's.  Place your gifts under Christ's tree.
   Obviously this teaches the whole family to remember that the greatest gift of
   all, eternal life was purchased for us and offered to us at the cross!
   (Romans 3:23, 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5)

Messianic Prophecies
--------------------
The spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus Christ - Revelation 19:10

These are some of the prophecies and their fulfillment concerning the birth
of Christ.

    Prophecies Concerning His Birth                 Prophecy Fulfilled
    1. Born of the Seed of Woman - Genesis 3:15  Matthew 1:20, Galatians 4:4
    2. Born of a Virgin - Isaiah 7:14            Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-35
    3. Son of God - Psalms 2:7                   Matthew 3:17
               I Chronicles 17:11-14             Matthew 16:16
              II Samuel 7:12-16                  Mark 9:7, Luke 9:35, 22:70, 
                                                 Acts 13:30-33, John 1:34,49
    4. Seed of Abraham - Genesis 12:2-3          Matthew 1:1
                         Genesis 22:18           Galatians 3:16
    5. Son of Issac - Genesis 21:12              Luke 3:23,34, Matthew 1:2
    6. Son of Jacob - Numbers 24:17              Luke 3:23,34
                      Genesis 35:10-12           Matthew 1:2, Luke 1:33
    7. Tribe of Judah - Genesis 49:10            Luke 3:23,33
                        Micah 5:2                Matthew 1:2, Hebrews 7:14
    8. Family Line of Jesse - Isaiah 11:1        Luke 3:23,32
                              Isaiah 11:10       Matthew 1:6
    9. House of David - Jeremiah 23:5            Luke 3:23,31
                     II Samuel 7:12-16           Matthew 1:1,9:27,15:22
                     Psalms 132:11               20:30-31,21:9,15,22:41-46,
                                                 Mark 9:10,10:47-48, 
                                                 Luke 18:38-39, 
                                                 Acts 13:22-23, Revelation 22:16
   10. Born at Bethlehem - Micah 5:2             Matthew 2:1,4-8, John 7:42, 
                                                 Luke 2:4-7
   11. Time of Birth - Daniel 9:25,              Luke 2:1-7
                      Genesis 49:10
   12. Presented with Gifts - Psalms 72:10-15    Matthew 2:1,11
                        Isaiah 60:6
   13. Herod Kills Children - Jeremiah 31:15     Matthew 2:16

Daily Bible Readings for Advent
-------------------------------
Two readings are suggested for each day in Advent.  The first is a prophecy from
the OT and the second is the fulfillment prophecy in the NT.

Week 1                                   Week 2
Sun: Genesis 3:1-15; Galatians 4:1-7     Sun: Malachi 3:1; Mark 1:1-11        
Mon: Genesis 12:1-3; Acts 3:17-26        Mon: Malachi 4:5-6; Matthew 11:7-15
Tue: Genesis 17:15-21; Matthew 1:1-2     Tue: Isaiah 40:3-8; Matthew 3:1-12  
Wed: Genesis 28:10-17; Luke 3:23,33      Wed: Isaiah 40:1-2; John 1:29      
Thu: Genesis 49:8-10; Luke 3:23,33       Thu: Isaiah 40:9; John 1:32-34    
Fri: Isaiah 9:2-7; Matthew 1:18-23       Fri: Isaiah 49:1; Luke 1:30-31    
Sat: Isaiah 7:10-17; Matthew 1:18-23     Sat: Haggai 2:6-7; Luke 2:1         

Week 3                                   Week 4
Sun: Isaiah 61:1-3; Luke 4:16-21         Sun: Genesis 22:15-17; Luke 2:8-11   
Mon: Micah 5:2-4; Matthew 2:1-6          Mon: Isaiah 9:7; Luke 1:30-33    
Tue: Isaiah 49:3-6; Luke 2:25-32         Tue: Isaiah 9:6; Luke 1:34-35       
Wed: Isaiah 60:1-6; Matthew 2:1-11       Wed: Isaiah 53:1; Matthew 27:32-44 
Thu: Numbers 24:17; Matthew 2:1-12       Thu: Isaiah 40:1; John 10:1-42    
Fri: Jeremiah 31:15-17; Matthew 2:16-18  Fri: Isaiah 45:8; Luke 2:1-20     
Sat: Hosea 11:1-4; Matthew 2:13-23       Sat: Isaiah 9:1-5; John 1:1-14      

Daily Bible Readings for the 12 Days of Christmas
-------------------------------------------------
The 12 days of Christmas begin December 25th and end January 5th - the
traditional date for the appearing of the Wise Men (which is merely conjecture).
The Psalms can be a joy, delight, and comfort to read.  Read a Psalm both
morning and evening during Christmas.

Day                        Morning                Evening
December 25                Psalm 2                Psalm 98
December 26                Psalm 116              Psalm 27
December 27                Psalm 34               Psalm 19
December 28                Psalm 110              Psalm 111
December 29                Psalm 96               Psalm 97
December 30                Psalm 93               Psalm 89:1-8
December 31                Psalm 100              Psalm 45
January 1                  Psalm 8                Psalm 99
January 2                  Psalm 48               Psalm 9 
January 3                  Psalm 15               Psalm 107
January 4                  Psalm 20               Psalm 121
January 5                  Psalm 29               Psalm 119:1-24

I've always liked Advent calendars, typically send one to my nephews in
Indianna every year, but its hard to find ones with the nativity theme.
Now that I've come to the conclusion that Yeshua (Jesus) was probably born 
in the fall during Succot, I'm having a harder time with the way we celebrate 
His birth today.  But even so, like Andrew, I've always wanted to make my 
own as well, and have some vague ideas about what I would do.  Basically 
it would tell the story of Yeshua's birth with the little doors opening to 
reveal pictures and scripture, and it would probably be in three layers, 
the first layer being the village of Bethlehem, with little doors revealing 
some aspect - maybe Miriam and Yosef on their journey, maybe animals, flowers,
trees, and stars coming out gradually, then a big door would open and show the
interior of the stable, more windows in the stable would open revealing
animals or things in the stable, the last 4 days would be Yosef inside the
stable, then Mary, then the brilliant star overhead, then Yeshua asleep in
feeding trough.  I think it would have to huge in order to fit all that 
stuff in :-}.

What I'd like to do is celebrate Yeshua's birth during Succot, then just
celebrate a winter holiday somewhere around the 25th, praising God for the
promise of renewal and the changing of the seasons, but not calling it
Christmas.  The only thing is I'd be out of step with everyone around me,
and I think Yeshua's birth should be celebrated together as community.

This year Greg and I were asked to teach a 4 week class at the church we
go to on Sundays about the Messianic themes of the Tanakh (O.T.), and how 
Yeshua fulfilled Biblical prophecies, and so on.  We've titled it Messiah! and 
have been learning a lot as we prepare the classes.  This is the third
week and we will look at some aspects of Yeshua's life and work during His 
first advent.  The first week we looked at some of the Messianic passages in 
the Tanakh, the second week we looked at the concepts of Messiah ben Yosef (the 
suffering servant) and Messiah ben David (the victorious king).  The fourth
week we'll look at the coming of King Messiah (ben David) when Yeshua will
return.

Leslie

    
    re .42
    
    Mike, you've just described most of the Christmas times 
    I've known.  
    
    Otto

    Leslie, you wouldn't be alone since I'd prefer the September
    celebration too.  The more you learn about the Messiah, the more you
    want to honor Him with accurate worship.  Knowing God's grace, I'm sure
    He still honors us though.  I'm at a point now where not even an
    artificial tree will do, it has to be living ;-)
    
    Otto, glad I could bring you down memory lane! ;-)
    
    Mike

O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi proditi attingens a fine usque ad finem,
fortiter suaviter disponensque omnia; veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.

			O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
			who orderest all things mightily;
			to us the path of knowledge show,
			and teach us in her ways to go.

O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammae rube apparusti,
et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

			O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
			Who to thy tribes on Sinai's height
			In ancient times didst give the law,
			In cloud, and majesty, and awe.

O radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum super quem continebunt reges os
suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.

			O come, thou Branch of Jesse's tree,
			Free them from Satan's tyranny
			That trust thy mighty power to save,
			And give them victory o'er the grave.

O clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel: qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis,
et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vincteum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris
et umbra mortis.

			O come, thou Key of David, come,
			And open wide our heavenly home;
			Make safe the way that leads on high,
			And close the path to misery.

O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae: veni, et illumina
sedentes in tenebris et umbra mortis.

			O come, thou Dayspring from on high,
			And cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
			Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
			And death's dark shadow put to flight.

O Rex gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, que facis utraque
unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo forasti.

			O come, Desire of nations, bind
			In one the hearts of all mankind;
			Bid thou our sad divisions cease,
			And be thyself our King of Peace.

> O come, Desire of nations, bind
> In one the hearts of all humankind*;
> Bid thou our sad divisions cease,
> And be thyself our Source** of Peace.

* I can go with and agree with this "inclusive" language.  When we have a
perfectly usable word that speaks of "humans" instead of "men," I have no
need to push for using "men."

** When "inclusiveness" extends to redefining God and Christ, it has ceased
to become merely "inclusive" and has become revisionist.

If the revelation of who God expresses himself to be in the Bible isn't just
a fairy tale, it's clear that he is very particular about how we define him,
recognize him, and worship him.  The first four of the ten commandments are
commandments of how to address and revere him.  And it's clear that one thing
that he has no 'tolerance' for is idolatry.

Idolatry, at its root, has nothing to do with making physical objects.  The
very essense of idolatry is the act of creating our own definition of God; of
defining God as WE imagine him or would like him to be, not as he as revealed
himself. And it makes no difference if we say that our imagined image is
still the same God.  When the Israelites made the golden calf, they didn't
say "Forget that God that brought us out of Egypt, we're worshipping this
calf."  No, they imagined an image of God that suited their sensibilities,
they created their own definition of God, and said "This image is God." 
"This is the God that brought us out of Egypt."  Yet God did not consider
this to be a mitigating factor; but for Moses' intercession, God would have
destroyed the entire nation for their idolatry.

When we define God according to what WE would like him to be, rather than
according to who he said he is, we are in **EXACTLY** the same boat as the
Israelites when they made the golden calf.  If we decide "It doesn't match my
sensibilities to think of Jesus as a King, I'll call him 'Source' instead"
that is not just 'like' idolatry, but is a perfect example of idolatry.

Paul

"Mankind" is gender-inclusive, and it is divisive to suggest otherwise.

Besides it doesn't scan.

/john

"King" indicates that He reigns.  We don't take the attribute of 'peace'
from His work, as source, and apply it in our strength; it has no lasting
effectiveness unless it is done in the strength of, and under the rule of 
 - the King. 

Sorry to seem picky, but the words of the original are significant, and not 
chosen to carelessly offend!

							Andrew

    I guess we'll have to change the words to Handel's Messiah in order to
    be PC?
    
    Bing
    

Hi Patricia,

I'm afraid you're missing the point.  'King' is the term used in the Bible, 
and extends to encompass very much more than merely 'Source'.  Sure, He's 
the Source.  But that's only the start!  There's a continuation and an 
'end', if you like, in the sense of target or ultimate.

The use of any word is totally cultural.  It is the effect of that word in 
the contextual understanding that gives it its significance.  'King' 
indicates one who rules absolutely (in its most absolute sense).  That is 
how we should be aware of God's right, authority and wisdom.

In our current culture, a democracy is generally seen as an ideal form of
rule, where no-one has complete control.  As far as humans go, that may be
adequate.  However, it isn't adequate to describe God's role, because He is
a superior Being.  Not just a super-human, and not fallible 

Can't you see that trying to glue the image of God into a particular
cultural stereotype is idolatry, which is exactly what you are trying to do
by arbitrarily revising the image of God according to the logic of the
world, without the wisdom of God? 

God is much bigger than the box Source implies!

							Andrew

 RE .57


 Bing, we're supposed to say "Sovereign" according to the PC crowd..

 It seems to me that the goal of many today is to see God and His Word
 "diluted" to fit 20th Century America.  Nowhere in the Word do we see
 that God is to be molded to fit "us".  We, through the Word and the
 Spirit are molded in His image.  He is the same yesterday, today and
 forever.  Those who distort the Word, distort the person of Jesus Christ,
 or attempt to apply non-Biblical attributes to God are, in my opinion
 going to be held accountable at some point.




Jim

Andrew said it, but I'll say it again:

>    So what's wrong  with God as Source of Peace?

Nothing is wrong with God as Source of Peace.  He is the Source of Peace. 
And making a song about how He is that Source is a wonderful thing.

>    God is much bigger than the box King implies!

Also absolutely true.  I'm sorry if you got the impression that I was trying
to put God solely and entirely in a box labeled 'King."

But a part of who God is is reflected by the title 'King,' and what is wrong
is rejecting that part of who God is because it doesn't fit your ideology.

God is also much bigger than the neutered box that feminism wants to put Him
in!

Paul

    Have ya'll heard the song by Geoff Moore with Stephen Curtis Chapman
    (SCC).  Words are inadequate to express who God is.
    
    How do you explain,
    How do you describe,
    A love that goes from East to West and runs as deep as it is wide.
    You know all our hopes,
    Lord, You know all our fears
    And words can not express the love we feel and long for You to hear.
    
    So listen to our hearts
    Hear our spirits sing
    A song of praise that flows
    from those you have redeemed
    We will use the words we know to tell You what an awesome God You are
    But words are not enough to tell you of our love, so listen to our
    hearts.
    

Let all the world in every corner sing, My God and King!

The heavens are not too high, His praise may thither fly;
The earth is not too low, his praises there may grow.

Let all the world in every corner sing, My God and King!

The Church with psalms must shout, no door can keep them out;
But, above all, the heart must bear the longest part.

Let all the world in every corner sing, My God and King!

My song is love unknown,		FF a b FF EE DDD	(C#, F#)
   my Savior's love to me,		   E F G a F bbb
love to the loveless shown		b c b a a d
   that they might lovely be.		   c b a aFF G# aaa
      O who am I			      a c% b GGG	(%=natural)
         that for my sake			 G b a DDD
	 my Lord should take			 E F G a
      frail flesh, and die?		   F FF EE DDDD

He came from his blest throne		Sometimes they strew his way,
   salvation to bestow,			   and his strong praises sing,
but men made strange, and none		resounding all the day
   the longed-for Christ would know.	   hosannas to their King.
      But O my friend,			      Then "Crucify!"
	 my friend indeed,			 is all their breath,
	 who at my need				 and for his death
      his life did spend.		      they thirst and cry.

Why, what hath my Lord done?		They rise, and needs will have
   What makes this rage and spite?	   my dear Lord made away;
He made the lame to run,		a murderer they save,
   he gave the blind their sight.	   the Prince of Life they slay.
      Sweet injuries!			      Yet steadfast he
	 Yet they at these			 to suffering goes,
	 themselves displease,			 that he his foes
      and 'gainst him rise.		      from thence might free.

In life no house, no home		Here might I stay and sing,
   my Lord on earth might have;		   no story so divine:
in death no friendly tomb		never was love, dear King,
   but what a stranger gave.		   never was grief like thine.
      What may I say?			      This is my friend,
	 Heaven was his home;			 in whose sweet praise
	 but mine the tomb			 I all my days
      wherein he lay.			      could gladly spend.

Words: Samuel Crossman (1624-1683), alt.
Music: Love Unknown, John Ireland (1879-1962)

When righteous Joseph wedded was        Then Joseph thought to shun all shame
  To Israel's Hebrew maid,                And Mary to forsake:
The angel Gabriel came from heav'n      But God's dear angel in a dream
  And to the Virgin said:                 His mind did undertake;
`Hail, blessed Mary, full of grace,     Fear not, old Joseph, she's thy wife,
  The Lord remain on thee;                She's still a spotless maid:
Thou shalt conceive and bear a son,     There's no conceit or sin at all
  Our Saviour for to be:                  Against her can be laid:

       [Refrain]   Then sing you all, both great and small,
                          Nowell, Nowell, Nowell!
                   We may rejoice to hear the voice
                          Of the Angel Gabriel.

Thus Mary and her husband kind          Sing praises all, both young and old,
  Together did remain,                    To him that wrought such things:
Until the time of Jesus' birth          And all without the means of man,
  As scripture doth make plain.           Sent us the King of kings,
As mother, wife, and virtuous maid,     Who is of such a spirit blest,
  Our Saviour sweet conceived;            That with his might did quell
And in due time to bring us him,        The world, the flesh, and by his death
  Of whom we were bereaved;               Did conquer death and hell.

       [Refrain]   Then sing you all, both great and small,
                          Nowell, Nowell, Nowell!
                   We may rejoice to hear the voice
                          Of the Angel Gabriel.

Sure, I get it, Patricia.  God is not limited by anything, except by your
insistence of what he's NOT.

No one here is saying God is King and only King, we are not limiting God by
referring to him as our King.  We are saying that 'King' is an appropriate
term which reveals to us a PART of the nature of God.  And part of the
Christian understanding of God is that there are aspects of His nature which
may seem, on the surface, to be contradictory, since we are trying to grasp
an infinite God with finite minds.  God can be both a fiercely vengeful God,
and a weeping God who compares himself to a nursing mother caring for her
child; both King and Source of Peace.  Calling God 'King' places no limits on
other aspects of His nature.

You, on the other hand, in the name of not limiting our concept of God, are
insisting that we CANNOT refer to God as King; in effect limiting the concept
of God to all-but-king.

It's quite ironic, really.

Paul

IN OUR IMAGE
Meditation for Christmas, 1992

When He came the first time
They wanted a King
NOT
A helpless Baby
In a manger.
They had salvation--
The Pharisees and Sadducees
Were in charge of that, and they
Were quite sufficient.
But they wanted
Deliverance.
The hot and dusty mile
Trod unwillingly, the rendering
Back to Caesar of the hard-earned coin
That bore his image--
These they hated.  So they looked
For one who could, with signs and wonders
And a strong right arm,
Set up a kingdom earthly
Of which they would, naturally, be
The pinnacle.  The manger and the cross
They could not accept.  And so the Cornerstone
Became to them
A stumbling stone, rock
Of offense.

When we heard about the Baby
We said,
"What a lovely story!  What was wrong
With those stiff-necked Jews?"
And--for awhile--
We heard the angels sing
And made the arduous journey
With the Wise Men.
A daring few labored with Him
To the cross and found the glory
Of Resurrection.
But those who stayed behind said,
"There is no Resurrection"; and the cross
Became something smooth and shining
To be made from gold and hung
Around the neck.  The story of
The sinless Baby, born of a virgin
Dimmed to a dusty myth, an excuse
For annual celebration.

But....
We keep the concept, anyway.
Because now
We want a helpless Baby
NOT
A king.  (One needs
Some religion, of course.  And
As the dust has gathered on the Word
We can hope it wasn't true--
That He was flesh and dwelt among us--
And His hard sayings remain only
An uneasy memory.)

The Baby, though, is rather nice,
Sweet and dimpled, non-threatening.
We need nothing beyond the manger;
We have salvation, too:
Democracy, Multiculturalism, World Peace
(If we ignore the distant thunder
In Croatia, the fisticuffs in Russia);
Psychotherapy, Equal Rights for women,
Dogs, cats, fish, and 'specially spotted owls
And trees--rights for all
(If we ignore the silent scream of those unborn);
LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY
And we see not
That we are poor, blind, naked serfs
Clutching to ourselves the miserable rags
Of our psychological self-righteousness
While our Lord delays His coming.

Whether we like it or not
He will return and sweep away
Our refuge of lies.

      They wanted a King--
      They got a Baby;
      We want a Baby--
      Our knees shall bow before
      The King.

                      --Ardella M. Crawford (c) 1992

O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio gentium, et Salvator earum:
veni ad salvandum nos Domine Deus noster.

			O come, O come, Emmanuel,
			And ransom captive Israel,
			That mourns in lonely exile here
			Until the Son of God appear.

			Rejoice!  Rejoice!
			Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

Tell it out among the heathen, that the Lord is King, and that it is he
who hath made the round world so fast that it cannot be moved; * and how
that he shall judge the peoples righteously.

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; * let the sea make a
noise, and all that therein is.

Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it; * then shall all the trees
of the wood rejoice before the Lord.

For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth; * and with righteousness
to judge the world, and the peoples with his truth.

					-- Psalm 96:10-13 (Miles Coverdale)

re: .69

Beautiful, John.  Thanks.

Paul

I don't know if you're here or not this week Patricia.  I hope you had a
blessed Christmas, and that The Lord's blessings shower upon you in the
coming year.  Even though I'm a passionate Bible-centered Christian, I still
wish peace and love and joy to all.  :-)  I hope that doesn't come across as
sarcasm, it's meant as affirmation and agreement.

I don't know if you got a chance to read my response .67 before you wrote
your response .68.  Because what you keep saying in .68 that you think I'm
saying is exactly what I said in .67 that I'm NOT saying. (Did you follow
that?)

To recap - I am not at all saying that calling God "Source" is idolatrous. 
He is the Source of All, and in some contexts calling Him so is simply a
recognition of a part of who He is.  What I am saying is idolatrous is to
refuse to consider that the title "King," which He repeatedly applied to
Himself, holds any meaning for us or any clue to His nature.  To refuse to
use that title implies that we have created our own image of God, in which
the concept 'King' holds no place, and we will not allow God to be who He
said He was.

>  There is no problem using
>    Source rather than King unless someone makes it a problem.

I absolutely agree there is no problem using Source.  But conversely, I
believe that there is no problem using King 'unless someone makes it a
problem.'  Let us remember that this whole string began not because I had a
problem with your using Source instead of King, but because you had a problem
using King at all.

>    I believe sexism is wrong and that it is evil.

Depending on how sexism is defined, I either completely agree or completely
disagree.  I suspect that your definition would fall in the latter category.

Throughout much of history, women have been treated as little more than
property, and at some times as low-valued property at that.  Men have used
their superior strength hold women essentially in a state of slavery. 
Tragically, in much of the Christian era, men have used Bible verses like
"women submit to your husbands" entirely out of context, completely ignoring
the rest of what the Bible says about men, women, and marriage, to perpetuate
that state of slavery.  Men have spoken of the "Christian Creed of women's
submission," building a twisted Creed on a single statement while utterly
ignoring the command to them to "Love your wives as Christ loved the church,
and gave himself for her."  By looking only at half of the picture, many men
have (and do now) lived as if wives were simply a sort of personal servant.

That sort of sexism, any sort of sexism that implies or asserts that women
are in nature inferior to men, sexism that denies that God's image was
perfectly reflected in the union of male and female, I completely agree is
wrong and evil, and is sinful.

But to take the verse that says "In Christ there is no Male or Female,"
completely ignore the rest of what the Bible says about women and men, and
build a 'Christian Creed' out of it, is to make *PRECISELY* the same mistake
that men have made all these years.  Men and women are equals in God's sight,
they are equal in their relationship to Christ, but they are NOT the same.
God made two sexes to complement and complete one another.  A recognition of
the differences between the sexes is not sexism, is not wrong, and is not
evil.  And a recognition of their strengths and weaknesses, or a recognition
of God's plan for how those two sexes were designed to complement each other
and to interact with one another, is not wrong and it is not evil.  It is
simply truth.

Paul

    .73
    
    
    AMEN PAUL!!!  Wowza...that was better then the coffee I haven't drunk
    yet! :-)

    Advent starts on Sunday.

                                 Happy New Year!

	Lo! he comes, with clouds descending...

	Every eye shall now behold him,
	  Robed in dreadful majesty;
	Those who set at naught and sold him,
	  Pierced, and nailed him to the tree,
	  ||| Deeply wailing, |||
	Shall the true Messiah see.

    ... Thou shalt reign, and thou alone.